Matthew 19

Read Matthew 19 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.

The Chiastic Structure Teaching Tool for Mat 18:1-19:17:

The A.1 pair reveals that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children.

And Yeshua called a little child to Him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, “Truly I say to you, that unless you are converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Mat 18:2-3

Then little children were brought to Him there, that He should lay His hands on them, and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Yeshua said, “Let the little children to come to Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Mat 19:13-14

The Greek Root Word translated as “converted” into English, is Strong’s G4762, στρέφω strepho, “to turn around, to turn back again;” itself translated in the Septuagint in Gen 3:24, Exo 7:15, 1 Sam 10:6, Neh 13:2, Est 9:22, Psa 30:11, and many other places, from Strong’s H2015, הפך haphak, a primitive root meaning, “to turn.” The 3-letter root is hey + pey + kaph.

hey ה = man w/ raised arms, thus look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath
pey פ ף = the mouth, thus open, blow, scatter, edge
kaph כ ך = the open palm, thus bend, open, allow, tame

The parable told by the Hebrew Root Word, is to upraise (hey) a flask, that is, the mouth (pey) opened (kaph) as a vessel for storing contents. You upraise a flask to overturn it to pour out its contents; so that the flask is turned in the complete opposite direction from its usual state.

To be converted, according to the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary, is to change from one form or state into another; to change from one religion, party, or sect to another; to turn from a life of bad deeds to one of good.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Act 3:19

He that converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death. Jam 5:20

To become as little children is to become trusting, believing, as all little children are as their natural state. The usual state of adults is to doubt and be skeptical; thus so many times we have seen Yeshua say, “O you of little faith!”

But those who believe, who have settled their heart to trust, as a little child of God, the Father God and His Word – they enter into the kingdom of heaven. This is the Gospel.

How does a skeptical adult become trusting in Father God and His Word as a little child? Ask God for help, first.

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mar 9:24

And immerse yourself, feeding the heart and mind on that very Word of God, which is unlike the words of men. The Word of God is living, active, and powerful to effect change (Heb 4:12).